For the more privacy minded, coreboot really is the sole critical path left to regain sovereignty over our BIOS based computing devices, IMHO.

The issues it deals with aren't new (e.g., see viewtopic.php?t=22213) and with practical oligopoly power in the hands of main CPU makers (AMD isn't exempt here, if you research further), it isn't going away anytime soon...

https://www.coreboot.org/ wrote:Coreboot is an extended firmware platform that delivers a lightning fast and secure boot experience on modern computers and embedded systems. As an Open Source project it provides auditability and maximum control over technology.

https://puri.sm/learn/intel-me/ wrote:The Intel Management Engine is a separate independent processor core that is actually embedded inside the Multichip Package on Intel CPUs. It operates all-by-itself and separate from the main processor, the BIOS, and the Operating system, but it does interact with the BIOS and OS kernel. It is a black box of mystery code at the lowest level, in ring -2, with complete control over every part of the system.

So yes, I do highly recommend the Librem 13. After all, regardless of whether you use the default Pure OS or a different distro, such as Ubuntu, your money is still supporting the Linux community and sending a message that you value privacy. Best of all, you are getting very solid hardware that should delight you for many years.

Only marginally related, but utterly interesting nonetheless: highly specific tech and marketing analysis article on how Intel lost the mobile market around 2008 -- and might be going the way of IBM someday...